Fusible link.



J. W. YATES.

PUSIBLE LINK. APPLIGATION FILED JULY 25, 1910.

Patented 3111162, 1914.

. Witweooeo JOHN W. YATES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FUSIBLE LINK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

lP'atented June 2,1914.

Application filed July 25, 1910. Serial No. 573,820.

To all whom it mdy ammo-n 7 lie it known that l, Jonx \i. Yarns, a

citizen of the l'nited States, residing at New employed York, in the county of New York and State of New York. haveinrented a new and use ful Fusible Link, of which the following is a specification.

This invention a fusible link of that type designed for use as an element of a chain or other tensile support, commonly in r-onuection with fire-proof doors, shutters or windows ot'ware-houses,

' etc, to retain them in an open position, the

elements of which link separate or disrupt, owing to heat melting the solder of the link,

whereupon the door or window automatically closes or falls.

The link forming the sub ect matter of the present invention may he said, generically,

to embody three elements, to wit, two mem-' hers, preferaljily substantially Hat, adapted to he soldered together at their edges, and a \veigl-itrarrying member positioned between them.

The salient features of novelty in the involition consist, first, in inc-losing the weight carrying member between the flat member by providing: the latter with complementary depressions or pocket-son theirinner faces in which depressions the weight carrying,

member rests; and, second, in positioningthe weight carrying member so that its axis is out of alinement with the longltudmal axis of the two'liat mcn'ibers, and preferably at: an angle to, the plane of union of said- Acrordingly, as soon as the solder between the inoasing members has melted to any extent, the tension on the link quickly displaces said weight carrying member, thereby 'lorein; the incasing members apart and dis-.

ru 'iting; the link! That is to say, the Weight carrying member is oil renter;1n that its axis is not in alinement with the line of tension or strain on the link.

In the accompanying" drawings, I have, illustrated one practical eml'iodiment of the invention, but the (OllSlJl'llOlllOll shown therein is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of theinvention. j

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the link with the parts assembled and united. Fig. 2 is a plan view looking at'tlie outer face on one ineasing member, Fig. 8 is a plan view of the inner face of the other incas'ing member, showing the tapering pocket and the upturned flanges thereof. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the complete link, illustrating the position of the weight carrying member when the parts of the link are in operative position. Fig. 5 is a longitndiual section through the link showing the positions of the incasing members and the weight carryii'ig "member as the parts of the. liuk'separate. Fig. (i is it of the weight carrying member.

The link en ibodies in itsconstruetion two members, 1,. 2, each of which is substantially rectangular in form, viewed in plan, each member being rounded or circular at one end, 3, thereof. ll'ithin each of the rounded ends, 3. of said members, 1, 2, is an eye, 4, provided. with a bushing, 5, said bushing;- being flanged, as shown more clearly in Figs. l and 5, lf'or the reception of a link oi. an ordinary-chain. Parallel lips or flanges, (i. are formed at the edges of member, 1, said," lips or flanges serving to preclude sidewise displacement of member, 2, when themen'i hers I, 2, tllGltHSQll'll'lltIl in operative ten;-

-lion. I

Each member, 1, 2, is provided with a d pression or pocket, 7, on the inner face thereof, said pocket being stampedor otherwiseformed in the member in any suitable mannor. The pocket, 7, may be of Various forms or. shapes, but in the drawings saidpocket is shown as being positioned substantially at the central portion of the rectangular body of each'niember, 1, or, 2. The length of the phcket is substantially parallel to the length pf the member; but; it ,is obvious that. the invention is notlimited to this precise position .or location. of the pocket inthe member. Pocket 7,. is, preferably, deeper .at one end than at. the other, said pocket being provided with ft; shoulder, 7*, at one end perspective view ion ifs

.end, 3, of said members.

thereof, the pocket being gradually tapered or reduced in both depth and Width toward the other end. in the preferred construction the end, of greatest depth and width of the pocket, is adjacent the substantially squared ends, of members, 1, 2, and the shallow narrow end of the pocket. is nearest the rounded When the memare assembled, the pockets thereof will reglster or coincide, that 1s, the shoulders, ,7, are positioned opposite to the tapered ends, thereby producing a chamber within which is loosely positioned a strut or weight carrying member, 8. This member, or strut 8, is preferably cylindrical, the end faces thereof being substantially at right angles to the body portion. Said ends of the strut, 8, are adapted to abut againstthe shoulders, 7 of the respective members, 1, 2, when the several parts are assembled in operative relation, as in Fig. 4.

To assemble the parts, the strut, 8, is placed within the pocket of one of the members, for example 1, in such a manner that one end of the strut abuts against the shoulder, 7, of the pocket. The other member, 2, is now placed over or against member, 1, the shouldered end, 7, of the pocket of member, 2,-fitting against end of strut, 8, and said end is opposite to the end of the bers, 1, 2,

pocket of member, 1, to form a chamber between said members. The edges, of memher, 2, abut against the inner faces of the lips or flanges, 6, or" member, 1, to prevent sidewise movement of the members relative to each other. When the parts are thus assembled, they are retained in the positions described by applying solder, which is fusible to a low degree of heat, along the meeting edges of said members composing the link, or the members may be united in any other suitable way.

It will be observed that the Weightcarrying member or strut, 8, is completely concealed within, or incased by, the incasing members, 1, 2, which protect it from dis placement or from corrosion, etc, thus preserving the etliciency of the link at all times. Furthermore, the axis of strut, 8, is not in the plane of the longitudinal axis of the members, 1, 9, but it is at an angle to the members. It will be observed, also, that strut 8 extends lengthwise of the link, said strut being so positioned that its longitudinal axis is diagonal to the longitudinal axis ofthe link. When so positioned, it is ob vious that the strain or the pull or weight is borne by the member, 8, the

upon the link ends of whichabut against the shoulders, 7 of the incasing members, the fusible solder serving, merely to prevent horizontal or sidewise separation of the incasing members, when the link is sell under normal condipions, as will be readily understood from. i lg,

a l l l l l l l l 1 l I l l l l l l a l l i oosen ln operation, the fusible link forms one of a series of links oi an ordinary chain, such as is con'nnonly employed in fireproof building construction, the links of said chain being united to the fusible link eyes, 4. Should a fire-proof window or a door be retained in an opened position by a chain provided with a link embodying my invention, and should the temperature ofthe air surrounding the link be raised to a point suiiicient to melt the solder, the inca'sing members, 1, 2 of my fusible separable link will no longer be movement by the solder, and the strain ap plied to the chain will become centered upon thestrut or weight carrying member, 8. As

this member, 8, is positioned between incasing members 1 and 2, so that'the longitudinal axis of strut 8 is diagonal, or at an angle to the longitudinal axis of members, 1, the strain or pull on the ends of the wci r, ht carrying member, 8, will cause the said member to turn on an axis which is at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the incusing members, 1,2. This turning movement ofmcmber, 8, forces members, 1, 2, apart, disrupting the link, as shown in fig. 5, (member, 8, falling out of pocket, 7),and this action at once releases the tension upon the chain, thereby permitting the closing of the window or door to which the chain is applied.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is z-- 1. A fusible link embodying two complementary members each of which comprises a substantially flat portion, means at one end of each ofsaid flat portions for securing a chain or cable thereto, a pocket in the inner face of each of said flat port-ions, said pockets being semiconical in shape with their axes in substantially the longitudinal transverse medial line of the link and the deep ends of said pockets being at the opposite ends of their respective flat portions from the chain securing ends thereoi whereby the posie tioning of the complementary members. in lapped relation, with the chain securing ends of the respective members at opposite ends of'the link, their pockets will register and form a cylindrical chamber having its axis in the longitudinal transverse medial line of the link and inclined to the meeting faces of the two members of said link, in combination with fusible solder for uniting the complementary members, and an elongated cylindrical key pin, in length substantially equal to the length of aforesaid. cylindrical chamber, and adapted to be positioned within said chamber wherebythe pull exerted on the different members of the link by their respective chains will be transmitted to, and carried by said key pin.

2, A fusible, link embodying a pair or through the prevented from sidewise oeaero complementary members each of which coinprises a substantially fiat portion, means at one end of each of said flat portions whereby a chain or cable may be secured thereto, a longitudinally extending tapered pocket formed in the inner face of each of said flat portions and so positioned therein that when said complementary members are placed in lapped relation with their chain attaching ends at opposite ends of the link, the two pockets will together form a chamber having its axis inclined to the meeting faces of the members and lying in substantially the longitudinal transverse medial plane of the link, in combination with fusible solder uniting said complementary members, and a key pin of such shape as to snugly fit within the chamber, said ke pin having flat ends which abut the ends 0 the chamber, whereby the tension on the chains at the respective ends of the link will he'sustained by said key pin. v

3. A fusible link embodying a substantially fiat member provided at its upper end with means for securing a chain or cable thereto, said member having a comparatively narrow pocket in one face thereof extending longitudinally of the member and the axis of which pocket is inclined to the plane of said member, a second substantially fiat member provided at its lower end with means for securing a chain or cable thereto, said second member also having a comparatively narrow )ocket in one face thereof, and the axis 0 which pocket is inclined to the plane of said second member, said tpocketsbeing adapted to register and form closed chamber when the said members are positioned one on the other, fusible solder uniting said members and a key pin posi;

tioned within said chamber with its axis in clined to the faces of said plates and having its upper end abutting the upper end wall of the socket in said second plate and its lower end abutting the lower end Writ of said other member, whereby said hey acts as a weight sustaining member, but when said solder is fused or disrupted, said pin, by virtue of its inclination, acts as a fulcrum to assist in quickly separating the members of the link.

,4. A fusible link embodying two complementary members each of which is provided on its inner face with a depression or pocket, said depressions being adapted to register with each other when the members are placed in lapped relation whereby an elongated chamber is formed having its longitudinal. axis extending lengthwise of said members, a pin positioned within said pocket and having its axis also extending lengthwise of said members, and fusible solder uniting the members.

5. A fusible link embodying two lapped members each of which is provided with a depression, said depressions registering so as to form a substantially closed chamber, a key member positioned within said chamber and having its longitudinal axis extending -in the direction of the line of pull on the link, and fusible solder uniting the lapped members whereby the key member is retained within said chamber.

Jenn w YA'JIT'ES Witnesses I), H. Munnon, Roar. Gr. GRUNnn'r.

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